15-year-old John Thuo is one of countless homeless kids that live in Nairobi, Kenya. In spite of being so young and poor, he has helped change one Kenyan woman's life forever.

After his mother's death, John was abandoned by his abusive drunk father, as well as his extended family who was already overstretched with resources. The streets of the Thika in Nairobi became John's new home, and he fended for himself by begging from motorists and passerby. Going to school, having a loving home, and being just a kid, were not his options anymore.

Yet for someone with no worldly possessions to call his own, John had a big heart which hadn't changed in spite of the poverty and inhumanity in his own life. This he proved for a lady named Gladys Kamande whom he encountered while begging on the streets one day.

John happened to approach the car in which Gladys was a passenger, and out of habit stuck out his arm and asked if they could spare any change. Peeking inside however, he saw that Gladys was attached to tubes and an oxygen tank; she looked like someone who was in a terrible and painful health condition.

To John, her suffering came through instantly and he couldn't help but start crying; not because they didn't have any money to spare for him, but because in his young mind he saw Gladys as being in a worse position than him. Sources say that he not only offered her a prayer but also his help and the only bit of money he had on him. John later recalls as he talked to a reporter,

"I found myself overcome with such strong emotions. Then something just struck me that I should pray for her after which I inquired if she needed a helping hand and offered to go with her home to assist with domestic chores."

As luck would have it, Gladys' story was just as painful as that of John. Having gone through domestic abuse and a total of eight failed pregnancies, Gladys was now suffering from serious health conditions that included a failing lung, lost eye sight, and heart issues. Over the last seven years, she had relied on oxygen tanks to help her breath and had been in and out of hospitals constantly. All of this without any support from her husband or other family members.

Thankfully, someone happened to be present as John and Gladys had their first encounter, and took a picture which would later take over social media. Twitter tweets and Facebook posts started popping up asking Kenyans and citizens around the world to follow John's example and help raise whatever money they could for Gladys' surgeries which was estimated to be over 7 million KES (approximately $67,000 USD).

An M-Changa account, which is similar to GoFundMe pages was set up for Gladys and sure enough, people felt her pain and donated enough money for Gladys to get back on with healthier living. As far as John is concerned, Gladys and he have remained close and their relationship is often described by others as that of a mother and son. After the attention from social media, John was moved into a children's home close to Gladys and so they continue to see each other and be the support system they each need.

This story gives us so much to be thankful for in our own lives. More importantly it is a great reminder that giving back and caring for others doesn't cost a dime!